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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million us dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "hundred thousand u.s dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +447024055805 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "Jackson Kwame" <JacksonKwame@hamdard.net.pk>
Reply-To: jackson.kwame@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 20 May 2008 16:45:07 +0500
Subject: FROM THE DESK OF BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER,

FROM THE DESK OF BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER,
JACKSON KWAME
BANQUE INTERNATIONALE DE L'AFRIQUE DE L'OUEST
ABIDJAN, COTE D, IVOIRE.
Tel:+447024055805

Dear Friend,

I am the manager of bill and exchange at the foreign remittance
department of Banque internationale de Abidjan (BIAO).I am writing
following the impressive information based on this
transaction,assuring me of your capability and reliability to champion
this business opportunity.

In my department we discovered an abandoned sum of $20.5m million US
dollars ,Twenty million five hundred thousand U.S dollars Only) .In an
account that belongs to one of our foreign customer who died along
with his entire family in a plane crash on 11th september 2001 in
united states of America (WORLD TREAD CENTRE) USA. that took the whole
life of the passengers on board.Since we got this information about
his death, I have been expecting his next of kin to come over and
claim his money because we cannot release it unless somebody applies
for it as next of kin or relation to the deceased as indicated in our
banking guidelines but unfortunately I learnt that all his supposed
next of kin or relation died alongside with him at the plane crash
leaving nobody behind for the claim.

It is upon this discovery in my department that I have decided to make
this businness proposal to you and for you to act as the next of kin
or relation to the deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement
since nobody is coming for it and i don't want this money to go into
the Bank treasury as unclaimed Bill.

The Banking law and guideline here stipulates that if such money
remained uncliamed after five years, the money will be transfered into
the Bank treasury account as unclaimed fund. The request of foreigner
as next of kin in this business is occasioned by the fact that the
customer was a foreigner and an Ivoirien cannot stand as next of kin
to a foreigner. I agree that 30% of this money will be for you as
foreign partner, in respect to the provision of a foreign account, 10
% will be set aside for expenses incured during the business and 60 %
would be for me.There after I will visit your country for disbursement
according to the percentages indicated. Therefore to enable the
immediate transfer of this fund to you as arranged,you must apply
first to the bank as relations or next of kin of the deceased
indicating your bank name, your bank account number,your private
telephone and fax number for easy and effective communication and
location where in the money will be remitted.

Upon receipt of your reply, I will send to you by fax or email the
text of the application. I will not fail to bring to your notice that
this transaction is 100 % risk free and that you should not entertain
any atom of fear as all required arrangements have been made for the
transfer. You should contact me immediately as soon as you receive
this letter.Trusting to hear from you immediately.

Yours Faithfully,
Jackson Kwame.

N/B: I AM PRESENTLY IN LONDON FOR BANKER`S CONFRENCE, YOU CAN REACH ME
WITH THE ABOVE PHONE NUMBER.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam